Children exposed to ‘horrific violence’ in Sudan’s civil war, UNICEF says

Key Concepts

• El-Fasher Violence: A recent surge in violence in El-Fasher, Darfur, Sudan, leading to mass displacement and killings.
• Conflict-Induced Famine: Famine directly caused by ongoing conflict and violence, leading to a lack of food and widespread malnutrition.
• Displacement Crisis: A massive and growing number of people forced to flee their homes due to conflict, with millions requiring humanitarian assistance.
• UNICEF's Role: The United Nations Children's Fund's efforts in Sudan, focusing on nutrition, water, sanitation, social support, and child protection amidst the crisis.
• Global Attention Disparity: The observation that Sudan's humanitarian crisis, described as the largest in the world, receives significantly less global media attention compared to other conflicts.
• Political vs. Humanitarian Solutions: The argument that while humanitarians provide aid, the root cause of the crisis is political and requires an end to the violence.

El-Fasher Violence and Displacement

Aid groups report that tens of thousands of people have fled El-Fasher in the Darfur region of Sudan due to escalating violence. This city has been at the center of a civil war lasting over two years. In the past week, a paramilitary force captured the city, resulting in hundreds of deaths. Eyewitness accounts describe systematic killings, with perpetrators moving from street to street and killing groups of people, as described by one individual who witnessed "massacre."

Famine and Humanitarian Crisis

An official declaration has been made regarding the spread of famine in Sudan. Sheldon Yett, the UNICEF representative in Sudan, shared harrowing accounts from women who had walked for days to escape the violence. These women described not knowing the whereabouts of their husbands or sons, and being forced to eat animal feet due to a complete lack of food. El-Fasher had been under siege for 600 days prior to the recent surge in violence. Many displaced individuals expressed profound anxiety and fear, having already been displaced once and facing the prospect of further displacement as the conflict expands.

UNICEF's Response and Efforts

UNICEF's efforts are primarily focused on assisting those surviving the massacres in El-Fasher. Approximately 80,000 people have left the city and are now in various towns around Darfur. UNICEF is actively involved in:

• Nutrition Screening: Identifying and treating malnutrition, particularly among children.
• Access to Water and Sanitation: Ensuring access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities for displaced populations.
• Social Support: Providing psychological and social support to individuals, especially children, who have been exposed to extreme violence and trauma.

The population affected by this crisis has experienced high levels of sexual violence, with many women reporting rape. Children have suffered horrific violence, leading to significant psychological scars.

Conflict-Induced Famine and Broader Crisis

The famine in El-Fasher is characterized as "conflict-induced famine," meaning it is a direct consequence of the ongoing violence and lack of access to resources. This situation is seen as a symptom of a larger, deepening crisis in Sudan. Yett confirms that the conflict has been ongoing for 2.5 years, with front lines constantly shifting and the number of displaced people continuously increasing. Currently, an estimated 30 million people in Sudan require humanitarian assistance, with half of them being children. Furthermore, 80% of the children in the country are affected by the crisis.

UNICEF's Top Priorities

UNICEF's top priority varies depending on the specific region within Sudan. In areas like El-Fasher and North Darfur, the immediate priority is to end the violence. This includes ensuring the safety of children and women, protecting schools from being targeted, and allowing people to live normal lives without the constant fear of being shot.

Ongoing Instability and Urgent Needs

The latest reports from El-Fasher and Darfur indicate that instability and violence are ongoing, with the numbers of displaced people continuing to rise. Individuals are walking for days to reach surrounding communities, arriving severely malnourished, dehydrated, and on the brink of death. There are also many reports of unaccompanied children who need to be reunited with their surviving families and receive the necessary support to become "full citizens of their country."

Global Attention and Resource Needs

There is a perceived disparity in global attention between the crisis in Gaza and the situation in Sudan. While not a competition, Yett emphasizes that Sudan represents the "largest humanitarian emergency in the world," yet this is not reflected in global media coverage. Having worked in humanitarian aid for over 30 years, Yett states he has not witnessed a crisis of this scale. He draws parallels to the patterns of killings observed during the Rwandan genocide. Yett stresses that this is fundamentally a political issue and a war, and while humanitarians can provide aid, they require adequate resources to meet the growing needs of children and families.

Conclusion

The situation in Sudan, particularly in El-Fasher and Darfur, is a catastrophic humanitarian crisis characterized by intense violence, mass displacement, and conflict-induced famine. UNICEF is on the ground providing critical aid, but the scale of the emergency, affecting millions including half the country's children, is immense. The crisis is exacerbated by a lack of global attention and requires a political resolution to end the violence, alongside sustained humanitarian support and resources.